The Gridley was built at Boston Navy yard and fitted out there before cruising in the Caribbean and then through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean. Then back to the east coast and then back to the west coast again in 1939, where she became the flagship of destroyer Division 11.
In April 1940, the ships of Division 11 moved to Hawaii and operated in those waters.
The Gridley left Pearl Harbor on November 28, 1941, as part of the anti-submarine screen for the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise out to Wake Island and then were going back to Pearl Harbor and approaching it on the morning of December 7 when they heard the base was under attack.
The Gridley entered the harbor the next day to protect against further attacks.
During the next five months, she was involved with escorting transports and repair ships to and from Pearl Harbor and areas in the South Pacific. In June 1942, the Gridley operated in Alaskan waters and participated in the bombardment of Kiska 7 August 1942.
While there, she served as the flagship of noted destroyerman Commander Frederick Moosbrugger.
--GreGen
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